Job Preparation Guide

On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer

Though this question is less common, there are times when the interviewer may ask you to rate them or ask you what you feel about them as an interviewer. They may even ask whether or not you feel if they conducted the interview well.

This may feel like a pointless question because obviously you can’t say that they suck or give them a low rating. Hence there is only one way to go. But you may do equal amount of damage, or maybe slightly less if you say something along the lines of that they were the best interviewer in the world, or that you have never seen someone take such an awesome interview.

Believe it or not, they are not baiting for complements, they are actually looking for honesty, well to an extent; what they really want to see is your people skills. How will you deal with a customer or client? They want to see how you handle yourself in a difficult situation when you have been put on the spot. The way you answer this question can tell them a lot about you as a person.

The ideal way to answer this question would be to give them an 8 or a 9, rather than 10 out of 10. If possible give them actual feedback of what you liked and what you didn’t like. You can also kindly mention where they can improve; however, this should be something superficial. You want to show that you can be kind and polite while actually giving honest criticism, but it should not make the interviewer feel bad. If you are uncomfortable doing this, then it is okay not to give any constructive criticism, instead just highlight certain aspects of the interview you like. If possible be specific, but don’t go overboard into complementing them.

The easiest and simplest way to answer this question would be to just highlight what parts of the interview and what qualities of the interviewer you liked. Be specific and be direct. If they were comforting, then mention how comfortable they made you feel. If they were hard or strict, then mention their thoroughness and dedication to finding the right candidate for the job.

Sample Answer:

I was really surprised at how comfortable you made me feel at the beginning of the interview. I was quite nervous, so it really helped. All the questions you asked were really on point and direct, which simplifies the interview process yet achieves what it set out to do. I really appreciated how you had gone through my resume beforehand and asked me specific questions rather than generic ones. Hence, I would like to rate you 9 for the techniques you utilized in interviewing me.